


Tattered Wings

by StephirothWasTaken



Series: Steph's 25 Days of Christmas Fics Challenge [8]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, BAMF Ignis Scientia, BAMF Iris Amicitia, Gen, I'll never stop complaining about my titles, World of Ruin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-11
Updated: 2019-12-11
Packaged: 2021-02-25 05:40:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21750955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StephirothWasTaken/pseuds/StephirothWasTaken
Summary: The Seraphim have hoarded Noctis inside their Crystal, and the rest of the world is left to survive in the resulting darkness.
Series: Steph's 25 Days of Christmas Fics Challenge [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1559509
Kudos: 4





	Tattered Wings

**Author's Note:**

> Ages ago, I remember coming up with the idea of a fic inspired by an industrial metal artist’s music, but I never really sat down and did much with it. I don’t quite remember why anymore.
> 
> I am aware of the angel hierarchies, but I didn’t try to incorporate any of it too much into this. I guess I was just trying to get a basic idea out there.

“You don’t have to spend so much time with me,” Gladio rumbled, practically purring as his sister rubbed his clean feathers together to interlock them.

“Someone has to make sure you’re taken care of,” Isis said, chuckling. “I know it’s not going to be you.”

“I take care of myself.”

“You take care of others until you damn near break, and then _we_ have to take care of you.”

There was a stab of pain in his chest at the guilt her words brought up. It was true that his friends and little sister had had to patch him up more times than he remembered. He was a Shield, and he had been trained to throw himself in front of his king to protect him. Then the Seraphim had forced him into the Crystal, and with no idea what else to do with himself, Gladio threw himself in front of everyone that needed it.

“I’m sorry,” Gladio said.

“Don’t be. Lots of people would be dead if not for you, and whenever Noctis returns, he will be really proud of you.”

“I’m not twelve. I don’t need you to talk me into a better mood.”

“Then stop being so _broody_.”

“I’m not.”

“You have been since Noct left, and not just you but _everyone_ , especially Ignis but definitely you, too.”

Ignis, who had been trained his entire life to watch over Noctis in and outside of battle, had had to deal with losing his eyesight on top of losing the one thing in this world that had given him any purpose.

There was a loud explosion, and the bright light from the anti-daemon lights dimmed. Iris gasped. Gladio dematerialized his wings, and then he jumped to his feet and ran to a window. The lights for half the city were out. People were running out of the Three Zs Motel, including someone familiar, and they were making their way to investigate and protect the non-combatant citizens of Old Lestallum.

Iris grabbed her short swords, and she dashed out of the room to join them. Gladio was only a few steps behind her, summoning his radiant greatsword from Noctis’s Armiger. He could hear the laughter of glamhoths and the liquid sounds of slimes, and he was glad for his long legs allowing him to run ahead of most people just as they met with the cluster of daemons rushing toward the town.

Ignis was just head of him. His back erupted with large fiery wings, and he flew into the air just before he unleashed a firaga spell. Several custards and glamhoths burst into black mist and harrowing screams before they could reach anyone. He landed on the ground as the fire of his wings went out, and then frost covered them as he unleashed a blizzaga, taking out more of the slimes and freezing some glamhoths.

“Good work, Iggy!” Gladio called as he rushed a crème brûlée, and he sliced it in half with his greatsword.

A Red Giant emerged from a puddle of black ooze on the ground, flaming sword melting the snow that Ignis had just placed on the ground. It slashed its sword toward the Kingsglaive rushing forward to protect the town while someone fixed the lights. Gladio rushed forward, and he raised his greatsword to absorb and stop the blow. His massive dark wings burst from his back, and he wrapped them around the blade. An intense cold overcame his body, and he and his wings turned into stone, the magic burying itself deep into the ground to help him stay in one place. The Red Giant tugged against him, but it could not move its sword from him.

“I got it!” Iris called, voice muffled from the stone holding the huge daemon in place.

Dark wings burst from her back, and she leaped to strike it with her short swords. Chunks of its flesh fell from its body and exploded into black mist. Ignis’s radiant spear and daggers pummeled its chest. They both made the daemon explode into black mist and screams. The magic was warmer at Gladio absorbed it back into his body, allowing him to move freely again.

There was the revving of an engine, and Gladio glanced behind him to see someone driving to the electrical lights around the perimeter of the town. He recognized the blond sitting in the back, pointing two guns at the daemons, shooting at them whenever he found an opening.

Gladio made way closer to Prompto, making sure that people who knew how to fix the lights would get the protection they needed while they worked. He took out a cluster of glamhoths skittering their way over.

“Wha—? Gladio?” Prompto exclaimed.

“Little busy!” Gladio said as he continued to defend them.

The shock wore off quickly, and the blond was soon ordering people around to get started on the all-important repairs.

Ignis and Iris remained ahead of the Kingsglaive, taking out as many of the daemons as they could with their angelic abilities. When another Red Giant rose from the ground, Gladio rushed forward again to hold its sword in one place while everyone else cut it down. He tried to make his way back to the techs, but then tonberries and nagas joined the fight.

The battle felt like it took hours while the techs worked. Gladio felt a dull ache in his back, right where his wings met with his shoulder blades. His tired and aging body was feeling all the abuse he was putting his body through.

“How much longer?” Gladio shouted to the techs as he kept his eyes on a black flan inching its way closer to the town.

“Just a few more minutes!” Prompto answered, voice muffled from diving into the electrical boxes. “Goblins fucked this up more than I expected they could.”

Ignis stumbled after he let out a thundaga spell, almost falling into crackling electricity on the ground, and his wings hung limp. It would have been better to hide them away for maneuverability, but he might have depleted his magic before he had the chance.

As the black flan drew closer, wobbly grin becoming easier and easier to spot in the darkness, Gladio called his radiant greatsword to his hands, and he rushed forward on aching legs threw the weapon at it. Ignis’s spear pierced it just a moment later. 

The black flan opened its mouth to create a vortex that could pull them in. Iris flew above the daemon to avoid its pull while she pummeled it with her short swords. Gladio’s greatsword teleported back into his hands, and he planted it into the ground to resist it.

Ignis threw his radiant daggers into the vortex, sending them deeper into the creature than they could have gotten into it otherwise.

Just as the black flan shut its mouth, there was a loud whoop from Prompto. Gladio rushed the daemon, and he swung his greatsword into its gelatinous body. Ignis and Iris seemed to find more energy within themselves to keep going. They sent the creature exploding into black mist and harrowing screams.

Gladio turned to find more slimes coming toward them, custards and crème brûlée.

“How much longer?” Gladio asked impatiently as he flew into the air to avoid a charge from a custard, which he left for Ignis to take care of.

“Just one more thing!” a girl promised.

“How much magic do you have left in you, Iggy?” Gladio asked. “We have custards coming.”

Ignis huffed, but his wings erupted into flames once more. With some instructions from Gladio, he threw a fire spell at them. He destroyed half the custards with his powerful elemental magic, and Gladio tore up a few of the crème brûlée, wishing they were just as vulnerable to magic.

There was a loud clang followed by a hum, and then there was a blinding flash of light. The surrounding slimes exploded into mist and screams. Gladio let his greatsword teleport into the Armiger, and he fell hard on his ass as relief washed over him, his wings making his hit harder. Ignis fell on his own ass just a few feet away from him.

Daemons remained near them, but they were all unable to touch the bright UV light.

Prompto let out another loud whoop, but this time several of the exhausted Kingsglaive joined in the celebration.

“Sorry it took so long this time, guys!” Prompto said as he rushed to them. “But it was already the plan to give the lights an upgrade. They are working _better_! The town should be a lot safer than it was before.”

“I’m just glad it’s done,” Gladio said as he continued to sit on the ground.

“How about we all enjoy a drink? On me.”

Prompto clapped him on the shoulder, and Gladio looked up at him. The blond was flashing him an easy grin. His cheerfulness used to give him a boost in energy, but now he just felt even _more_ tired.

“I think I’ll just head to bed,” Gladio said.

“Suit yourself! How about you, Igster?”

“I’m feeling quite exhausted myself,” Ignis said, slurring his words from the effects of magical energy depletion, “but I appreciate the offer.”

Prompto just shrugged. He was used to the two of them declining drinks by now. Gladio had indulged in a few beers since the Eclipse, but he had never really acquired much of a taste for alcohol. Ignis just liked to be clear-headed, especially now that the world had gone to shit, and Gladio was glad for it because he was sure Ignis had a mindset that meant he might not stop drinking once he started.

“Do you guys need help getting to the hotel?” Prompto asked.

Gladio would have declined the help if his legs had not turned into jelly the moment he had tried standing on his own. Iris and another Kingsglaive helped Gladio to his feet and held him up, and Prompto helped Ignis by himself.

The townsfolk interrupted into cheers the moment the Kingsglaive returned to the town, startling all of them, and they swarmed them, offering them food and drinks as compensation for the amazing work they had done for their little town.

“We were just doing our jobs,” Prompto said as he pushed through the crowd.

Once they reached the room, it took some careful maneuvering to get him through the door thanks to his tired wings, and then Gladio collapsed onto the bed. He found himself close to unconsciousness just as Iris poked and prodded him to help take off his boots and clothes.

She said something to him, but he was fast asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in chunks that I later stuck together, and some of it is awkward but hopefully it’s not too bad.
> 
> I have ideas for an original angels and demons universe that I would like to do, but I’m not opposed to coming back to this some day. It would get really dark, though. Dark fantasy is my preferred genre, honestly, and I don’t feel like I write enough of it.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! And let me know what you think! Comments, whether praise or criticism, kudos, and subscriptions are all deeply appreciated.


End file.
